Method and apparatus for separation of milk, colostrum, and whey

Abstract

Apparatus and method for separation of milk and milk products, e.g., involving sequential separation of milk, clostrum, and whey components by cross-flow filtration. The apparatus and method in a preferred aspect employ cross-flow filtration, chromatography and fermentation to separate and fully utilize the components of milk, clostrum, and whey to generate numerous individual components, minimize waste, lower adverse environmental issues and provide enhanced economic benefits to dairy producers. A wide variety of consumer and nutraceutical products can be produced from the fractions and / or sub-fractions of milk products obtained from such separation. The invention further contemplates a methodology for selecting optimum membrane, device, and operating conditions to achieve a desired separation.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to method and apparatus for sequential separation of various nutritional components of milk, particularly sequential separation of various milk proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, and minerals contained in milk, colostrum, whey, or other diary products, using cross-flow filtration modules.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTMilk contains various useful and beneficial components. Butterfat, casein, and lactose are the most commonly known dairy components. Some other components, which are equally important although less known, include lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins, sialyllactose, phospholipids, α-lactalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin.Cheese manufacturing processes involve separation of casein, an insoluble protein contained in whole milk, from other components of milk by precipitation. The two predominant precipitation techniques are rennet precipitation and acid precipitation, which are alternatively utilized, depending on ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

During prior art cheese-making processes, whey proteins are usually harvested from the supernatant waste of cheese manufacturing and therefore contain casein-precipitants such as rennet or acid, which deleteriously reduce the quality and nutritional value of the whey proteins thus obtained.

Moreover, in the mass production of milk proteins and powder milk, it is desirable to utilize all of the beneficial components of the milk feedstock. A preferred aspect of the present invention therefore relates to an integral process for sequentially isolating each of multiple useful components of milk, thereby separating milk into multiple fractions to facilitate efficient uses of each fraction, with minimal waste of beneficial components.

Such integral process enables a maximal utilization of beneficial components contained in milk. It also achieves the purpose of minimizing waste, prolonging the shelf life of the milk product, and maintaining the natural nutritional integrity of milk.

In one preferred embodiment of the present application, each of the cross-flow filtration modules comprises a permeate collection structure, an inlet, an outlet, and multiple fluid-flow sub-channels that may for example be equidistant (equally close) to the inlet and outlet. The cross-flow filtration modules are preferably connected to one or more fluid delivery (feed) means, which facilitates the flow of milk or fraction of the milk through the cross-flow filtration module at a sufficient shear rate.

It is also preferred to provide temperature controlling / monitoring means to control and monitor the temperature of the fluids processed by the cross-flow filtration modules. Since the flow rates of milk or fraction of milk through each cross-flow filtration module correlate with temperatures, such temperature controlling / monitoring means function so as to specifically enhance the speed of the separation process. Moreover, the temperature controlling / monitoring means can be used to control microbial growth and to increase membrane performance and separation characteristics.

The lactose-rich retentate fraction from the seventh cross-flow filtration module can also be crystallized or fermented to form additional useful products, such as for example lactobacillus, lactic acid, and Vitamin B-12. It is also preferable in various embodiments of the invention to subject such lactose-rich fraction to a bacterial or enzymatic process to further improve its nutritious value.

Problems solved by technology

The chromatography separation method is expensive and complex, requiring continual replacement of the chromatographic resin, as well as adjustments of pH value and ion concentration of the whey prior to the chromatography separation process.

Further, the conventional chromatographic separation method undesirably changes the natural quality and character of milk, by adding chemical additives thereto, in order to effect separation and to enhance product yield.

Clearly, such chromatography separation process, by adding one or more precipitants, i.e., rennet or acid, and one or more other solutions such as sodium acetate, sodium chloride, and sodium phosphate into the whey, substantially and undesirably alters the natural quality and character of milk.

Moreover, the chromatography process incurs additional expenses relating to necessary downstream removal of those unnatural additives from the separated whey proteins, which otherwise constitute contaminants that compromise the nutritional and compositional integrity of the natural milk products.

For example, selective precipitation of β-lactoglobulin from whey requires adjustment of the pH value of whey to 4.65, which undesirably alters the natural quality of whey.

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